Camaro Time Line
Yes, the Camaro is 34 years old and just gets better with time. Here, you'll find a recap of some of its accomplishments, from concept car to the present.
April, 1964. Super Nova.
Super Nova made its initial appearance at the New York Auto Show. With five nameplates already in production, Chevy officials decided not to produce the car at that time. When Camaro was in its design phase, many of the ideas from Super Nova were incorporated, such as a variation on the console and central instrument panel.
August, 1964. GM initiates the F-Car Program.
GM made the decision to go ahead with an entirely new program to compete with other automakers in ways that Chevy Corvair could not. Dubbed the "F-Car" at first, it would later become an automotive legend called Camaro.
August, 1964. Styling begins.
Chevy engineers and designers worked in conjunction with Fisher Body Division to see that the performance of Camaro did not take away from its styling. Computers were used extensively for the first time, as were other then unorthodox methods. Transparent quarter-scale bodies let engineers view stresses and part relationships.
February, 1965. "Mule" test drives.
In Camaro prototypes, called "mules," as well as in competitor's cars, GM officials took test drives at the GM proving grounds at Milford, Mich. Longer trips went as far east as New England, south to Florida, and west to the GM Desert Proving Grounds outside Phoenix, as well as along mountain roads of California.
February, 1965. First wind-tunnel test.
Chevy sent a quarter-scale model of the Coupe, along with a staff stylist, a clay modeler and a Chevy engineer to an aircraft wind-tunnel near Dallas. Not much attention had been paid to aerodynamics prior to this test, but it proved successful. It was because of this 11-day test that the Z-28 was designed with a chin spoiler and a rear spoiler.
August, 1965. Camaro "face" finalized.
The distinctive wide grille and headlights of the first Camaro went through several changes before getting the official sign-off. Early designs borrowed from Super Nova, among others. Date unknown. Camaro fastback.
Chevy stylists optimistically mocked up this fastback version of Camaro to compete with Ford Mustang 2 + 2. The. car never went into production
June, 1966. The Camaro name.
Just weeks before production began, the name "Camaro" was decided on. General Manager, Elliott M. "Pete" Estes, announced the name publicly, quipping, "I went into a closet, shut the door and came out with the name." Camaro is French for "comrade, pal, or chum," according to an obscure 1935 French-to-English dictionary.
September 21, 1966. Camaro for sale.
The 1967 Camaro hit dealer showrooms and was eagerly accepted by the public. The basic Sport Coupe had a standard six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual transmission with a base price of only $2,466. More than 80 options, including a 327 cu. in. V-8 engine, the SS-350 Package (with 350 cu. in. V8) and RS Package, among others, were available, which could bring the price of delivered cars to more than $3,500.
September, 1966. Camaro: The Movie.
To help launch the new car, Chevy put together an hour-and-a-half long movie. In color, the movie, The Camaro, was narrated by cartoonist Milton Caniff and told the story of the F-Car. It was shown extensively in Detroit theaters and on television, and featured cameo appearances by GM staffers Dave Holls, Don McPherson, Alex Mair and Bob Lund.
September, 1966. Camaro: The Play.
An elaborate stage revue called Off Broadway was performed by four different road companies throughout 25 U.S. and Canadian cities. Its purpose: To promote awareness of Camaro. It featured a small orchestra, dancers, a chorus and, as centerpieces, a '67 Coupe and Convertible. Automotive News called Off Broadway, "... some of the fanciest, gaudiest and costliest entertainment ever to hit the boards."
September, 1966. Camaro: The Clothing.
Perhaps the most unlikely of Camaro promotions was a line of women's fashions by a New York designer. Known as the Camaro Collection, the dresses were available in 450 shops and cost between $20 and $40. Who knows? This may have set precedent for the stylish houndstooth trim inserts in the '68 model.
May, 1967. Indy 500 Pace Car.
In just its first production year, Camaro was recognized for its performance and style when selected as Official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500, the first of four times Camaro would be so honored. In all, 100 or so Camaro pace car convertible replicas were made, most of them SS-350s with the Powerglide� automatic transmission.
1967. The Penske Era.
After losing races early in the year due to handling problems, Roger Penske's new Camaro Z-28 won its first Trans-Am race, in Marlboro, Md. Chevy engineers, along with Penske's team, tackled the handling problems with computer aides and, finally, through trial and error. The Z-28 beat out Mustangs, Cougars and Javelins to take the checkered flag.
October, 1967. The Need for Speed.
In a Smokey Yunick Z-28, three drivers -- including Bunkie Blackburn -- set world speed records on the salt at Bonneville. The USAC\FIA-sanctioned event saw the Yunick Camaro crush old records with speeds upwards of 174 mph.
1968. Minor differences.
Camaro experts can tell you about the many subtle changes made between '67 and '68 model years. Here are a few: Square sidemarker lights were added to each fender. "Ventipanes" were deleted on '68s. The '68 had rectangular parking lamps instead of round, and the grille mesh was now silver in color, rather than black. An added option was houndstooth seat trim inserts.
May 1969. Indy 500 Pace Car Part II.
In its second appearance as pace-setter, a 1969 Camaro Convertible, painted White with Hugger Orange stripes and trim was used. The car had a 396 Turbo Jet V-8 engine with Turbo Hydra-matic three-speed automatic transmission and attained the required 120-mph pace lap speed without breaking a sweat.
1969. Mr. Popular.
The 1969 Camaro won its second straight SCCA Trans-Am championship, set the pace at Indy and was selected NASCAR official pace car for its eight major stock-car races. CAR AND DRIVER's readers' poll named it "the year's best sporty car," and Chevrolet sold more models than ever.
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